I was sitting here looking at the snow and thinking about the heat of summer. We've all marched hot parades and contests. But what event was the one where you couldn't believe how many people were fainting?

I remember '61 State Prelims at Lane Tech High School. It was my first full season with the Cadets. As I recall, prelims started in the morning - maybe 8 AM or so. It was HOT. The Cadets were on pretty early. While we were moving towards the ready line, I remember members of other corps passing out before they even got to the starting line. After our show, we watched the rest of prelims. People would stand on the starting line and just drop. When their show would start, more bodies would fall. It seemed there were paramedics everywhere. Best drops of the day came from the Vanguard drum line. One snare drummer passed out and rolled forward over his drum. A bass drummer went flat on his back. I don't recall any other event with so many bodies being carried off.

What did you do in the Corps? Drum

What years were you a Corps member? '61-'69

John,

I don't remember people dropping like flies at 61 state prelims (that was my last year in the Cadets). However, I do remember that during the 1963 Dream Contest (afternoon contest) a lot of the members of the five senior corps were dropping like flies. It wasn't a hot day and I don't recollect any junior corps losing members. I've always assumed it was the result of consumption of large volumes of adult beverages by the senior corps members the night before.

In my years in both the Cadets and the Imperials I don't remember anyone in Norwood collapsing on the field from heat or illness. The only incident I recollect of someone falling on the field occurred during my second contest with the Imperials.

The contest was VFW State in Springfield in 1962. First time we wore the battle jackets. The field was wet from sporatic rain (it poured later as the Cavaliers were on the starting line). As we came out of concert Jim Boyce, who was next to me in the formation, slipped and went down. I managed to avoid stepping on him as we did a banana turn to the back of the field, but he was right in the path of the french horn squad coming up behind us. After we came off the field and Jim rejoined us he had a shoe print on his jacket.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? 1959-66 (Cadets 59-61 Imperials 62-66)

First of all, I LOVED hearing the term "out of concert" in Jim's post. There's poetry for you...

Two passing out stories. The first was 1972 at Illinois State Fair (everyone's favorite show). It was raining during prelims, so they were moved inside - along with inspection - to the Coliseum. It was hot and humid from the rain, and the floor of the Coliseum was made out of horse manure, so add the smell, and there were LOTS of people going down.

The second was at Illinois Association (anyone remember THAT group?) in 1971, but it didn't have anything to do with the heat. It was the afternoon prelims, and this involves the Belleville Black Knights. The Association had a rule that you had to march the same number of kids (or a percentage) in finals that you did in prelims, but Belleville had lots of people taking the SAT that morning - several hours away - who couldn't be at prelims. Their solution was to draft kids from other corps (including some of our Cadets), off the street, or wherever, to stand in uniform for inspection (where the counting took place), walk to the starting line, and then faint before the performance, since they obviously didn't know the show. It was quite a sight as a dozen or so members fell down on the starting line!

Love those early days before DCI!

What did you do in the Corps? Snare, Drum Major, Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73, 78-79

Bob,

When you mentioned DCI I remembered the 1976 DCI Championship (the only one I ever attended) in Philadelpia. The entire Bridgeman Corps collapsed at the end of their performance. Watching many of today's DCI corps it would be nice if some of the corps pulled a reverse of the Bridgeman and collapsed enmasse as they enter the field. Might actually be more entertaining than watching some of today's corps perform.

I'd forgotten that the term "Out of Concert" is no longer something that applies to a corps' drill.

John

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? 59-66 Baritone

Wow! some old memories in this thread!

1. terms like "out of concert", off the line, and color pres are OLD stuff now!

2. Bobs story of the Black Knights "fainting" was great! Clever!

3. I remember the Bridgemen and their "faint" at the end of a great show! It was a total and effective surprise!

4. When I was in the corps, fainting on the field was rare. There were often people who fainted, or needed assistance, AFTER they left the field.

I DO remember the summer pre-lim show at South Milwaukee. There were FREQUENTLY people fainting there ... it was hot and a LONG day, including travel and a parade too. After all that, the evening finals.
The South Milwaukee show was billed as "The Spectacle of Music" and included a big band division too!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer 1958-63, asst. instructor 1964-70; quartermaster

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

The Imperials were well known for several innovative M & M field shows. Can anyone determine the earliest date for the first "sunburst" design? I remember it as part of the 1972 show, but I also remember someone telling me they had done it for years.

What did you do in the Corps? Fr. Horn Bugle, xylophone, flag

What years were you a Corps member? end of '72 to 1977

I joined the Cadets in 1959 and the Imperials were doing the sunburst then and it was always in the drill during my years in the Imperials 1962-66. Dave Borck probably has more history but it seems to have been originated by Rick Maass and kind of became a trademark for the corps.

I believe that DVD that Will Koenig put together of Len Szulc's movies from 1965 includes some shots of that formation.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? 1959-66 (Cadets 59-61 Imperials 62-66)

Cheryl, I don't know the EARLIEST date for the sunburst, but we were doing it in the early 60s. It was a known trademark of Norwood, and exclusive to us (as far as I know) until the Troopers did it in the mid-60s. Several other corps did variations of circles, but I don't think any corps other than Norwood (until the Troopers) ever started in a tight circle and then exploded it completely to the sidelines.

Judges were aware of our circle, too. They were careful not to get caught inside as it was formed, because we started in a very tight ring with the guard inside. A judge getting caught inside would likely be stepped on and/or knocked over.

I can remember the first time I saw the Troopers do it. I was amazed at how good it looked and I felt very proud that we had pioneered it. Since we didn't have the opportunity to see our show ourselves, we never knew how the sunburst looked. I also felt slighted that another corps had stolen our sunburst in order to make their show better.

I also recall the one time doing that sunburst that has stuck with me permanently. At the 1963 Dream Show, Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City NJ, in front of about 27,000 people, it must have been absolutely perfect. As we started the explosion, there was a plane flying overhead. During the explosion, the crowd started cheering and by the time we reached the outer limit, you cannot hear the plane OR the music on the recording.

I was playing cymbals at the time, and I twirled them for the flash as much as possible. I was the "point" man in the circle that headed directly to the grandstand on the 50-yard line. That particular day, I twirled my fingers into a pulp, and never felt a single pain. Again at the closing, I would step from the line and march backward, twirling as the Corps left the field playing "Sleep." Once again, the crowd made enough noise to drown out the Corps until the final fanfare.

I will always remember the words of the stadium announcer as we left the field: "Ladies and gentlemen, that was the Norwood Park Imperials of Chicago, Illinois, in their first appearance at the Drum Corps Dream Contest. I think you will agree that their performance today has earned for them a return engagement. Don't you agree?" Once again, the cheering drowns out everything. It was the largest crowd we had ever performed in front of, and I think it might have been our largest crowd ever. I really doubt that our fans alone were making all of that noise.

This all can be heard clearly on the recording of that show. I'll never forget the feeling (over 40 years now) of that event. Even though some might say our show didn't really shine that day (we took 4th, barely beating the Audubon Bon-Bons), I will always remember the experience that day for the sunburst and the crowd.

Yeah, I was a show-off. I was also 16, and had never been East of Lansing, Michigan.

One of those memories that makes the Drum Corps experience so important. I loved it.

Larry

What did you do in the Corps? Drumline

What years were you a Corps member? 1960-1965

Looks like I have lots to say today. I was never actually faint, but I learned in my first year that I should have been.

This topic reminded me of my subbing stint. In my first year, as I was *learning the ropes* I filled an empty spot in the horn line during contests. The cymbal spot wasn't ready for me yet except for parades.

I carried a soprano horn, puffed my cheeks, moved the valves, and made it look like I was blowing my brains through that mouthpiece. I was in the center of the squad, between Jim Patton and somebody I can't recall.

At 1961 AL Nationals, Mile-High stadium in Denver, we were in contention. One drill maneuver required the squad to step backward and pivot to change direction, then step off forward immediately. I stepped in or on something on the ground that made me stumble and I ended up on my butt, propped up on my elbows, while the entire Corps marched off!

I know I had a stupid *what do I do now?* look on my face, and there was a judge looking right down at me. It was obvious I wasn't hurt or fainted, and he told me to get up and rejoin the line. I know we lost something in the score, can't recall if it was a tenth or what, but I don't think it affected the outcome. At least I hope not.

I got lots of razzing in my days with the Corps, but that trip back from Denver, on the train, well - you can only imagine.

I learned that faking a faint was the way to avoid what resulted.

Larry

What did you do in the Corps? Drumline

What years were you a Corps member? 1960-1965

sunburst? see the new thread on this.

What did you do in the Corps? drummer 1958-63, asst. instructor 1964-70; quartermaster

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63